Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1887-02-14
DIR. MeGIynn'sDef.nse.

For at least a month past the case of
DIR. Edward MeGlynn has occupied the
largersportious of the. spa ce devoted to
local matters in the newspapers of New
York City. First came reports of his diff
ferences with his ecclesiastical superiors,
then his removal from the pastorate of
ST. Stephens, then the Instruction in the
parish against his successor, and the dis
graceful and sacriiegious. scenes partiei-
pated in by the adherents of the dep nsed
priest. then statements by Archbishop
Corrigan and others high in authority,
and replies from DR.. >. MCGiynn's friends,
and finally long statement of his side
of the matter from McGlynn himself,
published in Henry Georges newspaper,
the Standard.
On DR.. McGlynn's own stateme mt OF
the case the action of Archbishop Corri~
gan in deposing him from the pastorate
of st. Stephens is fully justified. His
reply quotes letters written by Cardinal
Simeoni, the archbishop and others high
in authority in the Catholic church. some
of them written as long as four years and
half ago, advising him of the couse>
quences of the. course he was pursuing
For over four years he received repeated
remOnstranceS, some of them couched in
the most tender phrases. betokening the
reatest'solicitude, for his 5welfare, sothers
more decided in tone, urging him to cease
advocating socialistic doctrines. AT
times he was positively ordered not to
attend certain meetings. but commands
and remonstrances he treated with equal
contempt. His conduct finally became
such a scandal to. the. CHURCH that, after
showing the most remarkable lenicncg,
the archbishop WAS a. last. compelled to
remove him.
The plea advanced by Henry George
and other communists who sympathize
with McGlynn, that the Catholic church
has thereby assumed jurisdiction IN polit-
ical matters, is ridiculous 10 the highest
degree. What lent weight to McGIynn's
utterances? Was it his own personality?
Everyone knows it was not. His con-
neCtion with the Catholic church was the
ouly thing whatever that lent value to
them. In fact, during the late canvass for
mayor of New York, it was openly
claimed that the Catholic church was not
opposed to Henry George or his doctrines.
and the sole reason given was DR.. Nc
Glynn's adherence to George 1t was
absurd to suppose that Archbishop CORR
gan would let The church any longer be
put in the position Of apparently COUNTIES
nancing doctrines that it had ever taught
should be regarded with the greatest uh
horreuce Moreover, it is certainly Tar
from assuming jurisdiction in political
matters for the church to require its
priests TO limit their activities to their
clerical duties, which is what they are
engaged to perform. If, however. every
priest acted as Dr. McGlynn has done
constantly making speeches ut political
meetings, and even driving in an open
carriage from poll to poll on election day.
then Indeed would the church be open to
the charge of being political agency.
In this connection it may be of interest
70 inquire what are the doctrines which
McGlyun thinks it consistent with his 10,
siiion as Il Catholic priest to teach He has
himself expressed them very c0nCiscly in
one of his letters to Archbishop Coriigan
when he says:
Il would bring about instantly. if |
could, suck changes of laws all the world
over as would contiscate private property
in land without one penny of compeusa>
tion to the misCalled owners.
II occurs to the ARGUS that these views
are not so much question Of politics as
aquestion of morals, and as such strictly
within the purview of the church Nc
Glynn would rob ihe prefers the word
"cOnfscate'O people of their property
without one penny of compensation and
would doubtless call them bad names into
the bargain Then, when b. is called t.
account for bis immoral doctrines, be
whines tina: he is being prosecuted on &C
count of his political views His defense
and the excuses his partial friends offer
for him seem to lie on par with that Of
the dynamiters who murder innocent
people, flee to foreign shore and seek
to avoid extraditi0n by pleading that
their crime is only political offense OF
they may be compared to the argumen;
of the MormOns, who say that they look
upon pOlygamy as religious duty. and
therefore claim the right to exercise their
lustful inclinations with IMMUNITY on the
plea that government has no right to in
terfere with religion, Il Is no ius'iti, u
ton of robbery to call it politics
horrible Accident at IL saw ,Ii.l.
ST. LOUIS, Feb II The saw in a portable
saw-mlIl on the farm Of l. D. Wright a
wealthy farm ~ living .ici.- I.,ilas from